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So you have this incredible video. You sent it out to your internal teams, encouraged everyone to share, uploaded it to YouTube and now you wait. You wait for the marketing fame to roll in. You wait some more. Unfortunately, each time you obsessively check, your view count wasn’t nearly as impressive as you’d hoped and no one is sharing it. Don’t stress!After you’ve spent time, energy, and money to create this awesome video, it’s all about making sure your video(s) get in front of YOUR target audience (not just your mom). You need a distribution strategy to ensure everyone sees your masterpiece. One of the first spots you’ll immediately think about to is YouTube. As the second largest search engine (behind Google — which also owns YouTube), it’s imperative for your brand to use YouTube strategically to showcase your videos far and wide.

We could write a book about the different ways to use YouTube to distribute your video, but it all depends on what you are trying to accomplish. So here are three:

1) A common approach is to use the channel to gain attention and drive viewers back to your website where they can consume more content free from distraction. (As a bonus, once they’re back on your website you’ll also be able to track their behavior with video engagement data.)

2) You can also use YouTube to build an audience and then use it for its true social media power (i.e. comments, shares, etc..)

3) Get your videos monetized and start earning revenue off of those YouTube ads by enabling them on your content.

“Just remember, YouTube loves YouTube. So if you embed a video on a landing page from YouTube. Your landing page is not getting the love, your YouTube channel is…if you want your landing page to get some Google love, consider using another video hosting/sharing platform like Vimeo or Wistia.”

– Glenn Zimmerman, President, Mad Bear Productions

Your website or campaign landing pages

Nowadays buyers can go through most of the buying process before ever talking to anyone in sales. So you’ve got to include videos that are going to make a human connection and keep you memorable. The benefit is two-fold. Not only do videos embedded on your site increase the probability of a sale, but Google takes note when a click leads to longer time spent on a page. What this means is when your viewers click and watch a 90 second video, that 90 seconds makes the content on your site more recognizable, and more likely to appear in Google search results. Winning!

“Create your landing page with a very specific goal in mind and make sure that the content that surrounds the video is very clear and includes button of some kind to make it very easy for your viewers to embrace your call to action… and take action.”

– Glenn Zimmerman, President, Mad Bear Productions

Email campaigns

No other marketing medium can communicate as quickly and effectively as video. So it makes a ton of sense to use video in your email marketing to increase brand awareness customer education and, of course, sales.

Approximately half of the marketers who use video in email campaigns experience an uptick in click-through rates, an increase in time spent reading the email, and an increase in sharing and forwarding. (Source: eMarketer)

It’s a common misconception that when you use video in email, that the video will simply play, right from inside the email. That would be a unicorn. Unfortunately, most email clients don’t support the need to play video right inside the email. While you can drive them directly to the page on which your video is hosted, it’s better to create a landing page specifically for the video. This ensures that your audience won’t be distracted by the other content. Once you do that, take a screenshot of your video WITH the play button. Then add the screenshot to an email, and link it to the landing page with your video. Now, when your audience gets your email, they’ll see a big screenshot of your video, and when they click on it they’ll be taken directly to a page where they can immediately consume your video content.

“One simple way of adding moving video into your email campaign is to utilize an animated GIF. These can be fun and simple. They don’t have any sound but they still can say a lot and inspire action. in your viewer.”

– Glenn Zimmerman, President, Mad Bear Productions

Social networks

When distributing your videos, social channels are your best friend. And you have MANY best friends from which to choose.

We spoke briefly about YouTube, but there are many more options in the social world. Twitter and Facebook allow you to post videos directly to their platforms. This is always the way to go in order to maximize each platform versus linking from YouTube or another video hosting platform.

Periscope (owned by Twitter) and Facebook Live lead the charge with live video streaming platforms and are increasing in popularity for their easy ability to bring your viewers someplace live easily.

You’ll also want to consider a clever use of Instagram, which has a one minute time limit on videos. You can create teaser videos directing viewers to your longer-form content.

“Whether we are talking about the cutesy brand building found on SnapChat or the Live video meets conversation found on Blab, video is clearly at the forefront of Social Media 2.0. But in all cases marketers are seeing the largest leap in video viewership on mobile. So keep this in mind when building and distributing your content.”

– Glenn Zimmerman, President, Mad Bear Productions

Remember, always think about the intended audiences. For example, if one of your videos highlights your company’s business services, it may perform better with your LinkedIn networks versus your Facebook page.

And sharing is caring! Consider posting your video to your press releases, company blogs and maybe even contact your partners and ask if they’ll feature your video content on their blog.

We are truly just skimming the surface when it comes to this topic. So if you have a more in-depth question about video distribution just reach out to us!

Her name means “light” and that is what she is… high energy, bright and fast. And yes… she does run regularly. While we’re not sure what she is running from (perhaps her two young kids) we know she’s covered a ton of ground. She was the Executive Producer for an award winning and number one rated morning show in Tampa for years. And now, she uses her unique blend of organization, storytelling and curiosity to help Mad Bear clients find their stories. Think of her as an architect, a story architect.

I play chess with my son. He’s 8. And he’s pretty good. He’s beaten me fair and square a few times. It got me thinking. What’s his strategy? So I asked. His answer was simple: Keep the King Alive. Strategy doesn’t have to be complicated, but it has to work for YOU.

We get into conversations with marketers all the time about their video and they usually start and end the same. While they’re excited about video, when we ask them about video strategy, there’s usually a long pause which is generally an acknowledgment of “we don’t have a strategy….” Our follow-up question is typically something like, “do you know how well your videos are working for you?” we typically get the same long pause. In order for your videos to deliver you’ve got to have a personalized strategy.

No two strategies are the same. At Mad Bear Productions we have a specialized three-prong approach to nailing a video strategy you’ll not only love, but one that you can be proud of.

Here are the three things to consider:

1. Content: What is your story? And how will you tell it?2. Distribution: Who are you trying to reach and how are you going to do it?3. Metrics (analytics and reporting): Let’s make sure it’s working and learn from the numbers.

For the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on Content.

Humanize. Use video to inspire, entertain, and connect on a more personal and emotional level. Get creative with using video to deliver fun, approachable, and humanized content campaigns. Or deliver a personalized video campaign that literally brings each viewer into the story in a way that’s relevant, interesting and memorable. Try some things out and diversify how you use video content, and you’ll start to discover what your most powerful stories are, and what your audience really cares about. It’s about building your brand in way that makes you feel proud and that grabs your audiences attention. We produced a series of videos for Valspar to help paint a story that let’s people know they stand for more than color.

“If you aren’t sure what to do or how to do it. Just be true to yourself and your brand. The most important thing is to make sure you are being genuine about what you are showing. If you aren’t being genuine, it likely won’t work.”

-Glenn Zimmerman, CEO Mad Bear Productions

Be (A Little) Daring. We are not suggesting you throw caution to the wind and produce something outrageous that will scare your customers. But you have to stand out. And to stand out you have to take some risks. Consider adding a splash of humor, maybe choose some music you normally wouldn’t. Choose an approach that is a little bit out of the box. To help a Cyber-Security firm launch a complex piece of technology, check out how we used Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

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“But don’t do something unexpected and different just for the sake of it. Make sure you stand out for a reason and most importantly… that the reason matters to your audience.”

-Glenn Zimmerman, CEO Mad Bear Productions

Do something unconventional, but do it to connect with people in a more emotional way (see Humanize above). If you’re uneasy at the thought of trying something, don’t give up just because you are scared. Take a breath and see it from the users standpoint. It may accomplish the job better.

Make it Interactive. In general, we find that marketers tend to be conservative in their use of video content. Explainer videos and educational webinars are pretty common now, since marketers know that video is the best way to educate given its high retention rates. It’s going to be tough to get anyone excited about your video strategy if you’re producing another screen capture video with a voice-over. But you know what they might get excited about? If you delivered an interactive video with survey questions to really engage your audience. Choose your own adventure style videos are another great way to get some engagement. What else? Well, here is one video from a campaign we completed with Northwell Health. This was one of several videos used to encourage the viewer to vote for one of three different innovations in healthcare. Nearly 500,000 votes later… success.

“Don’t feel pressure to use the latest and greatest technology in order to be interactive. The goal is purely to engage the viewer. If the interaction accomplishes that… you have succeeded”

-Glenn Zimmerman, CEO Mad Bear Productions

Overall, a video strategy keeps you from creating aimless content. Your videos should have a purpose aligned with your business goals. So, now you have your story. Stay tuned for our next blog which will focus on how you get the right people to see it!

Her name means “light” and that is what she is… high energy, bright and fast. And yes… she does run regularly. While we’re not sure what she is running from (perhaps her two young kids) we know she’s covered a ton of ground. She was the Executive Producer for an award winning and number one rated morning show in Tampa for years. And now, she uses her unique blend of organization, storytelling and curiosity to help Mad Bear clients find their stories. Think of her as an architect, a story architect.

Not too long ago I pulled off the impossible. A surprise party. Months and months of covert planning, secret phone calls and shady behavior all came together for one purpose: A Reaction. It was priceless. Watching raw emotion and excitement unravel as a result of something you had a hand in, is in a word: AWESOME. I’ll remember that moment always.

I get the same feeling when I sit in an audience and watch a room full of people react to a video our Team produced. My heart skips a beat. I love nothing more than hearing people laugh at all the right places, take pause when it counts and rise to their feet, and clap at the end. It’s like watching someone unwrap a present that you know they will love, and then watching them freak out when they see it for the first time. We recently produced a series of videos for the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida’s annual “Women of Distinction” event. To sit amongst hundreds of people – including the women and their families- and watch them react, was a feeling I won’t forget.

We are all hardwired to remember events that are more emotionally charged. Good marketers know how to leverage this fact. You need to help people feel an emotional connection towards your brand, and there’s no medium more emotional than video. It lets you convey so much more than words. Facial expressions show people your excitement, tone of voice tells a compelling story, and sometimes music alone can get people fired up about your product. Like this one we produced for BMW of Freehold.

Look for different ways to leverage this emotional opportunity. If your support team is interacting with customers via email, phone, and support ticketing, use a video to introduce those team members in a new way. You can even create an emotional connection to your product. If you use case studies as part of your marketing mix, try a video case study. Here’s an example from Wilson HCG.

Emotional connections are important because they help people remember you. The goal is to make people feel inspired, delighted, or joyful when they see your content. In remembering you positively, they’re more likely to buy from you, come back as a repeat customer, and even recommend you to someone else. An emotional connection will help you stay memorable and drive more sales your way.

Her name means “light” and that is what she is… high energy, bright and fast. And yes… she does run regularly. While we’re not sure what she is running from (perhaps her two young kids) we know she’s covered a ton of ground. She was the Executive Producer for an award winning and number one rated morning show in Tampa for years. And now, she uses her unique blend of organization, storytelling and curiosity to help Mad Bear clients find their stories. Think of her as an architect, a story architect.

Last month, I moved 3,000 miles across the country. Well, 2,910 miles really, but who’s counting?

In February I started researching and in the span of about six weeks, I became a big consumer of products and services I previously had known very little about. As someone who regularly advises businesses and artists on their web marketing, on their grand stories, on their content strategy, it was an interesting user-experience exercise.

What worked? What didn’t? What made me buy? These were big purchases, from $300 (boxes and twine) to $25,000, (a new car), often researched and purchased completely on line. I even chose a house, sight unseen.

Googling “Cross-Country Move” is a little like going to WebMD and searching, “White Spots on Tongue” or “Tingling in Left Calf”. All signs lead to “Brace yourself. You are in for a terrible experience.” You have sickle cell anemia and all of your things are about to be lost, broken, held for ransom in Utah, or worse. The company you chose to move everything you own won’t return your calls. And neither will your insurance company. Yelp is the WebMD of consumer spending. It is a freak show.

In the micro-decisions and big decisions I made as I navigated the web, “Should I do a full-service move or use Pods? Should I DIY this? Absolutely not. If I were to do a freight or POD move, which company would I use?” I realized that what separated the reputable and the no-way-in-hell websites, was one thing: video.

Video created trust. Video told me, “Relax. We do this all the time. We will break it down into small, bite-sized steps and tell you exactly what to expect.” The company I went with to move me, they even created a DVD packet that they sent me in the mail. I tweeted them MAIL?! That’s stupid. Have you heard of the internet? And they tweeted me right back. They had heard of the internet. And they have their DVD packet online too. Relax. I was showing my high strung New Yorkiness. They were showing their excellent customer service.

@boardofus I apologize for any confusion. The same video clips are available on our YouTube channel

My partner and I watched the “how to load your stuff in the bulk head video” over and over again. It was like what I imagine going to a lamaze class is, a preparation for the big event, so on the big day, we would know what to do and how to breathe. We had the video queued up and ready on our phones for our movers to watch as they loaded the bulk-head. They had done this before. They rolled their eyes. Turns out, they have videos on their website, too.

When I felt overwhelmed, I would watch a how-to pack video, a how-to load everything you own into thirteen feet of space video, what car should I buy in 2012 video. For six weeks, before I went to bed, I would watch a video produced by a company I was about to hand over a bunch of money to.

Dear business owner, there is a lesson for you in this.

Video is more important than ever. It is ubiquitous, it is shareable, it puts a human face — or faces — on your brand. Videos can be instructive, funny, create levity for a stressful experience, be helpful, and help me make it easy to give you all of my money with a smile on my face. Assure me. It also means I spend less time dialing your 1-800 number trying to talk to someone. It’s like using the TV as a babysitter for your customers. Video can save you money.

1. What story can I tell in two minutes that gets at WHY I DO WHAT I DO?

ABF — the moving company I chose — succinctly tells the story of why putting your stuff in a freight truck makes a crazy amount of sense. Cheaper, more reliable, easy.

2. How can I break down the product or service I offer in a way that is helpful to answer the needs of my customers?

3. Are there any customers who would be willing to GIVE ME A VIDEO TESTIMONIAL?

I bought a car based on video reviews of others who had just bought the same car. And they gave tours. Lots of them. With no buyer’s remorse.

4. What content do my customer service reps or do I give to potential customers over and over again?

5. What expertise do I have that isn’t directly related to selling my product or service, but is related to helping my customer in the moment?

Videos on how to pack pictures, videos on what to think about as you set up in a new city, all of that content was related to me creating a connection with the brand. And hanging out on their website for longer than necessary.

Now I’m settling into a new life on a new coast in a new city (Portland, Oregon). Yes, I have heard of Portlandia. I watched it on YouTube before I bought Season Two. ______________________________________________________________________________

Melea Seward is a web strategist for small businesses, non-profits, artists, and the occasional corporation. Her website is at Chief Amusement Designer, where she is the resident CAD. She also founded Board of Us, which is a little like Fight Club for business owners and artists. She can be found online at @boardofus. She lives in Portland, OR and works in New York, NY.

Even if you are not in the financial world, if you saw Eddie Murphy back when he was funny talk about pork bellies in Trading Places you understand a little about commodities.

Gold is a commodity. So is oil. Even time could be considered a commodity but video… a commodity … how do you mean?

First, I am not talking about the common YouTube video of babies, furry animals and craziness caught on camera. I am talking about videos used for business.

Even in this context, obviously video isn’t found in the ground or growing on a tree. However, with the explosive growth of online video over the past several years and the over exposure of poorly produced, uninspired or predictable videos; the perception of video could clearly be seen as “a mass-produced unspecialized product”… with “wide availability” as Merriam-Webster defines a commodity.

Whenever you are thinking about video this needs to be your enemy.

Video should not be a commodity. When approached well, video is a tool specifically designed to do a job. Much like a scalpel or a steak knife. Both cut but don’t hand a surgeon one when he/she calls for the other.

How to uncommoditize your video:

1. Shoot from a certain perspective that is unique. The focus here could be capturing unique images or highlighting uniqueness through what is said. Ideally, you would like to do both.
2. Make sure your video is designed with your audience in mind. Not only should the message speak to them directly but it should be meaningful and hold key takeaway messages that they will remember.
3. Make sure the video is effectively delivered and then tracked (i.e. Google Analytics) that way you can properly make sure it is doing its job.

The title is “A Conversation about Better Video for Business” and that is what we will deliver every month in this newsletter.

It makes sense that video will be the theme of what is found here but we will explore video innovations in a thoughtful way. We will not dumb it down because we are writing and shooting for an informed audience.

Many of our subscribers have the words marketing, advertising, sales and/or public relations in their tittles. These are people who have worked with video before but are perhaps looking for new approaches and technologies to better engage an audience. Other subscribers are business owners who are rethinking their current marketing budgets and considering how video might play a role. There are also hundreds of other people who just want to see what a bunch of video geeks will come up on a monthly basis.
Each issue will have a theme that we will explore in a thoughtful way. This theme will be expanded to our network of experts in supporting areas like SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Social Media and Web Development/Design. These experts will be given a platform to add their 2 cents on the theme to help make this newsletter even more robust.

Ok… so you will also get a simple overview of the past month in the world of Mad Bear Productions — complete with news and snippets from our blog.

In future issues, we will perform product tests that will range from cameras to codecs to delivery platforms. The “Experience” will always be a mix of video and text but the content in the video and text will never be the same because while video and text support each other they serve different purposes.

We hope you enjoy and share the “Mad Bear Experience” with your friends and colleagues!